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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Dixie Flag in Argentina?

This post has nothing to do with physics, but everything to do with cultural (mis)understanding. In my position as a Fulbrighter, I am not only sharing knowledge and teaching methods, but am also an agent of cultural exchange. At the risk of opening a massive can of worms, I am going to throw my $0.02 out there in an effort to help clarify some things that Argentines might not be aware of. Before I start, I want to reiterate the disclaimer from above- the following is my opinion, and nothing more. If you have a different view of things, I would be happy to discuss this issue with you. Feel free to leave a comment, but please keep things appropriate. This preamble may seem a bit over the top, but this is a contentious issue and I think it's better to be prepared. I'm also going to do my best to provide a translation so that all my readers can understand. Be patient, I'm sure there will be minor errors!

What caught my eye was that it was adorned with an emblem that looked awfully similar to the rebel flag. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Civil War in the US, this image was the icon of the Southern states who seceded from the Union (it was actually their second flag, but this is the one that is commonly remembered). Since the Civil War, this flag has become an symbol of Southern Heritage. I grew up in Tennessee, and it was a frequent sight (for the record, I also see it flown in New York from time to time). In Tennessee it was frequently displayed in the back of pickup trucks, sometimes with the slogan "heritage, not hate."

I finally got around to doing some research to see if there was a connection between the emblem and Confederacy. I found the website for the company: John L. Cook. It seems to be a company that makes clothes and some school supplies.

I wasn't the only one who noticed the Dixie Flag here in Argentina, another blogger found this interesting as well. While this person recognized the flag for the symbol of the Confederacy, and was astonished that it had been appropriated as the symbol of a popular brand here in Argentina, in my opinion he or she missed something important about the reasons for the Civil War.

If you go back and look at the articles of secession for the civil war (few people have actually read these), you will find that yes, on the surface the states claimed economic factors as their reasons for seceding. However, their economies were based on slavery- without slaves the southern economy could not function. Hence, abolishing slavery would be ruinous to the southern economy. So the economic argument for secession doesn't hold water- in my opinion it's just a thinly veiled excuse- the real reason to secede was to keep the institution of slavery intact. This is what I believe, but I wasn't the one who originated the idea. I was lucky enough to have an incredible US History teacher. who was an expert on the Civil War. He provided my class with the opportunity to look at primary and secondary sources and decide for ourselves. It comes as no surprise that he was also an outspoken critic of the "Heritage, not Hate" claim, as the Dixie Flag represented the Confederacy, which was in turn based on slavery, which ultimately was based on the subjugation of one race for the benefit of another.

There is a long history of disagreement about the meaning of the Dixie Flag. You can read a lot about it if you take the time to do some searching. I would encourage you to do your homework- read articles that are researched and supported, not the drivel that many take as gospel. Look for the primary sources- the articles of secession themselves, etc. Don't take my word or anyone else's for it- decide for yourself.

For the moment, I'm going to end by saying that I was astonished to find that image here in Argentina. Clearly, it has been taken out of context, and is not meant to represent the same things that is stands for back home. However, its appearance here presents a unique opportunity for meaningful discussion. I'd love to hear what y'all have to say.

5 comments:

Okey I never like this type of things, I mean, the way that companies take flags or simbols of other countries and use them like them logos. Because they may or may not know what thats logos means, but they are sending subliminal messages to the people, make them wear a flag of an other country, for example, and make all of us look like unpatriotic. And that's really an insult for the country we have to represent, which deserves respect. Is realy necessary, for me, that people have to know the meaning and reason of what they are promoting or wearing. I hope this change one day.An argentinian disturbed teenage.

Thank you for taking the time to reply- and in English no less! I think people here don't know that the company logo has anything to do with the Civil War, in fact a friend of mine told me that he thought that the company was a US brand! I wonder if the company is aware of the connection.

Chris is correct in his historical analysis - there were many factors that contributed to the secession of our southern States but slavery was at the epicenter of the debate. The northern States had already abolished slavery and were being supported by the burgeoning industrial revolution in their city centers (mills, factories, etc). The southerners still relied heavily on the agricultural industry to produce revenue and trade. Their slaves were the workforce behind that agrarian society.

I would like to add that there have been numerous developments in the 150 years since the war that have complicated the issue beyond an easy answer or label. Following slavery, the Jim Crow laws enacted throughout the south continued to keep African Americans oppressed up to and following the desegregation of the society in the 1950's/60's. In reality, blacks continue to live in substandard conditions when compared with their white counterparts - across the country, not just in the south. Another point - the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), developed in the decades following the war by a group of former Confederate officers, became a terrorizing force amidst the black population that would not hesitate to murder a black person for even the possibility of committing a crime or for a perceived insult to a white citizen. Over the decades, the Confederate flag became a growing symbol of meaning and significance for this group. To the present day, many White Supremacists hold the Confederate flag in high regard as a symbol of their racial superiority.

On the other hand, there is little doubt that southerners suffered enormously from the war and its aftermath. Once again, to the present day, the southern states are underdeveloped and poorer than their northern counterparts. Many southerners hold the flag in high regard as a way of demonstrating their pride in their Scots-Irish heritage and in the distinctively southern way of life. In addition, because the southerners were referred to as "rebels" for their attempt to secede, many individuals in all states who feel an affinity for some type of rebellious life - whatever that may mean to them - have taken up the flag as their own personal means of individual expression. As Chris pointed out, however, this symbolism is marred by the reality of slavery as being at the heart of the Confederate secession.

In any and all accounts....it is a thorny issue and one that will probably be debated for a long while to come. I applaud Chris for taking a stab at it in a fair and honest account.

Hi!As the first comment said, there are many symbols that are being taken without knowing the original meaning. I 've just seen the flag in a J.Cook's bag and I was as amazed as you. Do you think it may have a double message? Or is it just a tradition thatt remained? Bc if it has political ideas on it I think people should be awarned of that

About Me

I teach physics, AP Physics, and AP Calculus at Saranac Lake High School. I use the Modeling curriculum for the backbone of my activities. During the summer of 2015 I traveled to Australia as a Global Teaching Fellow. In 2012 I lived in San Luis, Argentina, while I participated in the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program.